Pateh Jah, the permanent secretary at the Personnel Management Office, PMO, has disclosed that the staff auditing of the civil service and other institutions is near in completion. The exercise was mandated to the PMO as part of the new government’s policy to reform the civil service.
Speaking to The Standard recently PS Jah said the exercise is currently at an advanced stage “with only the verification process left. Some workers who have not been found at their work places during our visits are now coming to report to be counted and until this verification is over, we cannot come up with the exact figure of the number of ghost workers in the pay roll,” he said. He added that all what can be established now is that there are ghost names but the actual figure will only be known once the exercise is over.
Mr Jah said the audit team is led by the PMO but comprises personnel from the police, military and the Immigration Department.
Recently, President Barrow said during a meeting with the team that he felt bad that monies were going to private pockets instead of government coffers and expressed shock with the poor salary of government workers.
